The Beaver Valley Nitehawks will look to make a statement as they face the Neil Murdoch division leading Nelson Leafs at the Hawks Nest tonight.
The Nitehawks have not won a game against their division rival since defeating them in Game 6 of the division semifinal playoff on Mar. 1. In their latest match, Oct. 18, the Hawks led 4-0 but gave up six third-period goals to go down 6-4.
However, recent moves has bolstered a Hawks line up with grit and goal scoring, and it will be a different team that plays the Leafs tonight.
“They have a good team, but we’ve changed a lot since the last time we played them, so it’s going to be a hell of a game,” said Hawks assistant coach Jeremy Cominotto. “Having Dan Holland come back, he’s a great player, and Riley (Brandt) just gives us a little bit of speed and physicality to our game that we may have lacked.”
The Leafs, who recently lost 7-2 to Fernie last Friday, lead the Hawks by five points in the KIJHL’s Neil Murdoch division so this is a crucial game for a Hawks team looking to overtake their rival.
The puck drops for the Nitehawks and Leafs game at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Beaver Valley Arena.